the Air Conditioners’ blog

2 down 1 to go! Big Brown annihilates Field Again!

2008-05-18T14:20:45Z

I'm convinced he can win the Triple Crown. He can do it. Yesterday he only 'ran' 3/8 of a mile, the rest of the time he was holding back. When he hit it, it looked like he had jets on his back, he annihilated the competition by at least 7 lengths, it was amazing! His jockey is convinced as well and has already ridden 2 other previous derby winners and another Preakness winner, the another great story there. This will be great for the industry seeing all the heartbreak of late, i.e. Eight Belles:( 30 years is a long time man....

Flo-

Louisville Kentucky

Big Brown Crushes Preakness Rivals

by Evan Hammonds

Updated: May 17, 2008

In a performance that was more like a coronation than a Thoroughbred horse race, Big Brown crushed his 11 rivals in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course Saturday afternoon by 5 ¼ lengths. The son of Boundary, who two weeks ago won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) by 4 ¾ lengths, will now head to Belmont Park for the June 7 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) with a chance to become racing's 12th winner of the Triple Crown.

The historic victory makes him one of four unbeaten horses to win both the Derby and Preakness, joining Majestic Prince (1969), Seattle Slew (1977), and Smarty Jones (2004). Only Seattle Slew was able to land the Triple Crown.

Big Brown went off the 1-5 favorite and returned $2.40 to win as the lowest-priced winner since Spectacular Bid paid $2.10 in 1979. The final time for the 1 3/16 miles was 1:54.80.

Big Brown is owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr. Just prior to the Preakness, it was announced that upon his retirement, Big Brown will stand at stud at Robert Clay's Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky.

Ridden more than confidently by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown was tucked inside the first time by the winning post after breaking from the six-hole in the classic as Hey Byrn, Gayego, and Riley Tucker were out on the lead. The early fractions were :23.57 and :46.81. On the backstretch, Desormeaux was able to get Big Brown off the rail and to a clear spot just off the leaders. Traveling wide around the final bend after six furlongs in 1:10.48, Big Brown easily caught the leaders.

As they straightened away in the lane, Big Brown unleashed a tremendous burst of acceleration and quickly put several lengths between him and his rivals. Desormeaux eased up on the colt down the lane as he peeked behind for rivals and won "under wraps."

"He's a freak of a horse; it was just the easiest win ever," said Desormeaux.

Macho Again, winner of the Derby Trial, rallied to finish second at 39-1, finishing a half-length ahead of 22-1 shot Icabad Crane in third.

The remaining order of finish was: Racecar Rhapsody, Stevil, Kentucky Bear, Hey Byrn, Giant Moon, Tres Borrachos, Yankee Bravo, Gayego, and Riley Tucker. Behindatthebar was scratched May 16.

Big Brown paid $2.60 to place and $2.40 to show. Macho Again returned $17.20 and $10.40. Icabad Crane paid $5.60 to show. The 7-1 exacta returned $36.60 and the 7-1-3 trifecta paid $336.80. The $1 superfecta with Racecar Rhapsody returned $1,192.30.

He just keeps on getting better and keeps on getting stronger," said winning trainer Rick Dutrow right after the race. "He is special."

"When asked about the run for the Triple Crown in three weeks, Dutrow said, "It doesn't look like he got down on his belly today.

"I know we have horse race," he continued. "I'm going to be under the impression that he's going to be tough to beat in the Belmont."

"To bring him back for the Triple Crown will be a dream come true," said Michael Iavarone, the major principal with IEAH Stables along with Richard Schiavo. "It's going to be a fun, fun three weeks.

One of the horses that will take on Big Brown in the Belmont will be Casino Drive. Casino Drive won the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) in just his second career start. The son of Mineshaft is a half-brother to the last two winners of the Belmont Stakes: Jazil and Rags to Riches. All three are out of the grade I-winning mare Better Than Honour. A $950,000 sale yearling, Casino Drive was shipped to Japan where he broke his maiden.

"The Japanese people are going to come here and think that Godzilla is dead. Well, Godzilla's not dead," Dutrow said at the post-race press conference.

Big Brown is a 3-year-old colt by the pensioned stallion Boundary, out of the Nureyev mare Mien. He was bred in Kentucky by Monticule. He was purchased by Paul Pompa for $190,000 out of the Keeneland April 2-year-old sale from the Eddie Woods consignment.

"I'm very proud," said Paul Pompa Jr. after the race. Pompa had Big Brown with trainer Patrick Reynonds as a 2-year-old. After majority interest was sold to IEAH Stables, the colt was turned over to Rick Dutrow. "I have a lot of respect for Rick Dutrow. I had a lot of respect for Rick Dutrow before he had this horse. Mike and IEAH made me a very fair deal. These guys arent' afraid. They made me a great deal. It was a win-win situation for everybody. Patrick Reynolds, did a great job breaking this horse."

In the past 11 years six horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and gone on the Belmont with a shot at the Triple Crown: Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet ('98), Charismatic ('99), War Emblem ('02), Funny Cide ('03), and Smarty Jones (-04).

The last winner of the Triple Crown was Affirmed, who defeated Alydar in all three legs in 1978. He joined Secretariat ('73) and Seattle Slew as Triple Crown winners in the 1970s. Other winners are: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox ('30), Omaha ('35), War Admiral ('38), Whirlaway ('41), and Citation ('48).

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Judge Demands Documentation in Foreclosures

2007-12-06T22:42:09Z

[source]

By GRETCHEN MORGENSON

After the recent dismissal of 14 foreclosure cases by a federal judge in Cleveland, another federal judge in Ohio has given lenders 30 days to prove that they own the properties they intend to seize from troubled homeowners in 27 other cases.

The second judge, Thomas M. Rose of Federal District Court, in Dayton, ruled Thursday that while the lawyer filing 26 of the cases had claimed his clients owned the properties at the time the foreclosures began, he had not submitted the necessary proof to the court.

“Failure in the future by this attorney to comply with the filing requirements,” Judge Rose said, “may only be considered to be willful.”

Taken with Judge Christopher A. Boyko’s dismissal of 14 cases in Cleveland last month, the latest ruling indicates that some courts are growing tougher on lenders foreclosing on delinquent borrowers without providing proof of ownership.

It has long been a common practice for lenders to bring foreclosure proceedings without attaching proof of ownership of the underlying note. Tracking down such documentation may be more challenging because of securitization, the pooling of mortgages into trusts that are subsequently sold to investors.

Citibank is trustee in one case overseen by Judge Rose; it represents a securitization trust sold in 2005 by First Franklin, a loan originator now owned by Merrill Lynch. At issue in the case is a mortgage on a property in Miamisburg, Ohio, for $191,000. The borrower defaulted in August 2006.

Another case involves HSBC, which is foreclosing on a $144,000 mortgage on a property in Dayton. The mortgage was underwritten in 2004 and has been in default since October 2006.

A Citigroup spokeswoman said the company did not comment on pending litigation. An HSBC spokeswoman said the bank had not studied the ruling and could not comment.

An estimated two million families may lose their homes to foreclosure in the coming years, specialists say. A recent study of 1,733 foreclosures by Katherine M. Porter, an associate professor of law at the University of Iowa, found that 40 percent of the creditors foreclosing on borrowers did not show proof of ownership.

Such proof gives a creditor standing to foreclose against a borrower and is required by law.

Judge Rose cited Ms. Porter’s study in his ruling.

[sponsor: Reduce Your Unsecure Debt Up To 90% with ASProgram.com]

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Bush announces foreclosure relief plan

2007-12-06T21:08:23Z

Bush unveils plan to help borrowers: Lenders, investors agree to freeze rates on some adjustable mortgages

The Associated Press
updated 3:14 p.m. ET, Thurs., Dec. 6, 2007

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of thousands of strapped homeowners could get some relief from a plan negotiated by the Bush administration to freeze interest rates on subprime mortgages that are scheduled to rise in the coming months.

"There is no perfect solution," President Bush said Thursday as he announced an agreement hammered out with the mortgage industry. "The homeowners deserve our help. The steps I've outlined today are a sensible response to a serious challenge."

Bush has been accused of moving too slowly to address a crisis that has spread to the broader financial market. But he also was careful not to sound as if he were imposing a government solution and violating his free-market principles. He billed his plan as a voluntary, private-sector arrangement that involves no government money.

"We should not bail out lenders, real estate speculators or those made the reckless decision to buy a home they knew they could never afford," Bush said after meeting with industry leaders at the White House. "But there are some responsible homeowners who could avoid foreclosure with some assistance."

Bush said 1.2 million people could be eligible for help. But only a fraction will be subject to the rate freeze. Others would get assistance in refinancing with their lenders and moving into loans secured by the Federal Housing Administration, Bush said.

Also, the aid will only come to those who ask for it, he said. Thousands of borrowers who are falling behind on their payments have been sent letters about the options, and Bush also urged people to call a new hot line: 1-888-995-HOPE.

The announcement followed the news earlier Thursday that home foreclosures surged to an all-time high in the July-September period. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the percentage of all mortgages that started the foreclosure process in the third quarter jumped to a record 0.78 percent, surpassing the previous record of 0.65 percent of all mortgages in the second quarter.

The administration's effort is aimed at stemming a further tidal wave of foreclosures in coming years as 2 million subprime mortgages — loans provided to borrowers with spotty credit histories — reset from their introductory rates of around 7 percent to 8 percent to levels as high as 11 percent, adding hundreds of dollars to the typical monthly payment.

A recent surge in mortgage defaults, part of the worst housing slump in more than two decades, has piled up billions of dollars in losses for big banks, hedge funds and other investors while roiling financial markets worldwide. Some economists think the housing bust may become severe enough to push the country into recession.

Bush originally gave the wrong number for the hot line; the White House later corrected him.

The president mentioned other steps to prevent foreclosures. The FHA has greater flexibility to offer refinancing to homeowners with good credit histories. It is expected that this eventually will help 300,000 families, officials said.

The Federal Reserve is announcing stronger lending standards this month, while the Housing and Urban Development Department and federal banking regulators are acting to improve disclosure requirements, he said.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the streamlined procedures for supporting efforts to refinance mortgages and freeze rates were a "welcome step in helping Americans protect their homes and communities from the consequences of unnecessary foreclosures."

The highest-profile part of the plan would freeze introductory "teaser" rates on certain subprime mortgages, preventing rates from rising for five years.

This offer would apply only to people living in their homes and who have not missed any payments at the lower rate. It also only would apply to loans taken out between 2005 and this past July 30 and scheduled to rise to higher rates in 2008 and 2009.

The hope is that the five-year freeze will buy time for the housing sales and prices to start rising again. Such a rebound would enable homeowners to refinance their current adjustable rate mortgages into fixed-rate loans with more affordable monthly payments.

But even Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who led the negotiations with the mortgage industry, acknowledged the effort is "not a silver bullet."

"We face a difficult problem," he said.

The big sticking point in the negotiations was getting investors who had purchased the mortgages after they were bundled into securities to agree to accept lower interest payments. Critics have said even with a deal, there are likely to be lawsuits. But officials representing major players in the mortgage industry said they believed the plan would withstand any legal challenges and would help at-risk homeowners avoid defaulting on their mortgages.

But George Miller, executive director of the American Securitization Forum, which represents companies that package mortgages into mortgage-backed securities, told reporters he expected the industry would face suits from investors unhappy that the original terms of the mortgages have been modified.

The president also did not miss the chance to lash out at the Democratic-controlled Congress.

Bush blamed lawmakers for not sending him legislation that he said would show they "are serious about responding to the challenges in the housing market." One measure would give the FHA more flexibility; a second would change the tax laws temporarily to help people who have a portion of their mortgage forgiven by banks.

"The Congress has not sent me a single bill to help homeowners," Bush said.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[sponsor: Reduce Your Unsecure Debt with ASProgram.com]

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QotD: Singing A Holiday Tune

2007-12-06T11:20:41Z

Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?

I always dug the lil drummer boy's parumpapapum for a classic. OTT Vince Guaraldi (the Peanuts jazz man) is the snizzle on top of my treezzle during the holidays.
Flo-
the Air Conditioners
Louisville Kentucky

Sponsor: Settle Unsecured Debt By 90% with ASProgram.com

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No Country for Old Men (Cohen Bros.)

2007-12-06T11:14:28Z

We came this close [] to seeing the Cohen Bros.' new one which my buddy the Dirt Kahuna from the great Michigan band the Dirt Surfers says " You won't find a better-made crime flick - it's violent as hell. The film's bad guy is a piece of work, and was a masterstroke in the casting department. This Cohen brothers film is grittier than "Fargo," but every bit as entertaining.

We reconsidered and rented a bunch of comedies, bought some Orvill R and headed home instead...

Knocked up - great remake of 9 mos.
Waitress - surprizingly great/quirky small town pie flick
Superbad - the best teen movie EVER! fast paced dialog that kills
Girl Next Door - pretty damn good teen movie straight out of Howard Stern's twisted world

Sponsor: Settle Unsecured Debt By 90% with ASProgram.com

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Hey man. Do you know where I can cop some good toad, man?

2007-12-06T11:08:41Z

Colonel Kenny Lee, the proprietor of RealityBB.com and Kentucky's finest bluesman/guitarist posted this bit of bad craziness recently. I could not let you miss it, enjoy.

Flo-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cops: More Smoke Toad Venom to Get High

www.physorg.com/news115971422.html

Quote:

In October, a Kansas City man was charged with possessing a controlled substance after Clay County authorities determined he possessed a toad with the intent to use its venom to get high.

"Toad smoking," which is a substitute for "toad licking," is done by extracting venom from the Sonoran Desert toad of the Colorado River. The toad's venom - which is secreted when the toad gets angry or scared - contains a hallucinogen called bufotenine that can be dried and smoked to produce a buzz.

Sponsor: Settle Unsecured Debt By 90% with ASProgram.com

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RBB A&R Spotlight - The Mescaleros

2007-12-04T16:37:25Z

I am A&R mod @ www.realitybb.com

The recent passing of Sir Joe was a tough one, it still is brother. I will always maintain that he is the finest frontman in rock history and will argue to my death regarding his influence. RIP Joe, we miss you sir!!!!!
Flo-
Louisville Kentucky

http://www.myspace.com/themescaleros

The Mescaleros, the band formed by the legendary Joe Strummer (RIP, the Clash) in 1999 and who over the next 4 years rocked cities all around the world inc:Tokyo, New York, Milan, Paris, Los Angeles, London..the list was never ending. With such a legendary frontman and such talented musicians not only were they a great live band but they also produced 3 classic albums, full of such gems as Yalla Yalla, Johnny Appleseed, Coma Girl etc etc. All this came to an end sadly with Joes untimely death in Dec 2002. Today in 2006 Scott Shields & Jimmy Hogarth are mainly in the song writing/producing side of the record business...but for those with an ear for great live music other Mescaleros are still performing live..the latest is "The Hours" a Martin Slattery/Ant Genn band and with both having such a wealth of talent are tipped to be a big success. Luke Bullen is drumming for the very succesful KT Tunstall, Simon Stafford is currently with Reverend and The Makers who recently supported the Artic Monkeys. Tymon Dogg has a new band: The Quikening. Smiley is with Archive who are mega in mainland Europe and also drums for FourGoodMen comprising of great talent from Simple Minds and Big Country. Pablo Cook who has taken a couple of years out and living in the Spanish mountains has both written and produced material for Lily Allens top selling album "Alright,still". John Blackburn is on his last tour on bass with Skin before starting a new life in New Zealand You can also find a Mescalero or two every now and again playing their superb tunes at Joe Strummer tributes and festivals around the world, including that superb annual party in Bologna, Italy. Whatever these great musicians are doing you will find out here first. "Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Vision of a Homeland" ISBN: 1903111757 is a 264 page book inc 16 pages of many never before seen pics of Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, with full contributions from all Mescaleros, roadcrew etc. The Author, longtime fan Anthony Davie was given access to so many great and unique pics by both the band, their families & top photographers Dave Maud and John Zimmerman that he had a special 32 page limited edition magazine printed as well. This book is available worldwide from all good book shops or alternatively contact us for copies signed by various Mescaleros. Various Mescaleros love to play @ tribute gigs (subject to touring schedules) anyone planning a tribute gig, please feel free to get in touch.

http://www.myspace.com/themescaleros

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BoomerShout calls ASProgram to investigate.

2007-12-04T16:34:58Z

ASProgram.com says "our program is the only legal protection from unsecured debt that puts you in control of WHO you pay, HOW much you pay and WHEN you will pay your creditors."

I wanted to know what ASP was all about so I simply called the number listed at their website www.asprogram.com 502-777-5252 and asked for Tom Bond the person listed as co-founder. Tom called me back in a few hours. Here is the gist of my conversation with Tom:

Boomershout: I read Mr. Sandalewood's comment in DestroyDebt.com that said, "It appears they (ASProgram) are using a UCC-1 filing with the Secretary of State as the shield." Mr. Bond, is that what ASP is doing?

Tom: Yes - ASProgram uses a REAL UCC-1 lein filing as a sheild against future seizure. The Program is not effective if legal or collection activity has begun against a credit card. However, the Program may be of help on OTHER cards. Knowledge that a lien exists will scare most collectors against filing suit because the ASProgram lien must be satisfied BEFORE another judgment.

Boomershout: Has long has ASP been providing this service?

Tom: ASProgram has been providing this program for 11 months, but the UCC-1 filings are being done by a company which has been doing this for 10 years.

Boomershout: Does it work?

Tom: ASProgram uses a unique and copyrighted method of transferring value from one person to another WITHOUT the use of money. Unlike any other program, ASProgram has a LEGAL basis for its actions. There are no back-dated Promissory Notes, nor any Notes issued without consideration.

Boomershout: Is it legal?

Tom: Yes - ASProgram is the ONLY program which has a basis in the law.

Boomershout: How quick can the shield be put in place?

Tom: The average completion time is 4 to 6 weeks.

Boomershout: Will the shield protect against foreclosure?

Tom: The ASProgram covers unsecured debt only. Houses have mortgages which are secured debt. Recent Federal Court cases may allow ASProgram to help YOU defeat FORCLOSURE against your HOME!

Boomershout: How long does the Shield have to remain in place?

Tom: Just as long as the client, the person who subscribes to the service, wants.

Boomershout: When I ask about other details of the service Tom ask me If I needed a shield? When I told him no he said that the rest of the information was proprietary and only given to purchasers of a Shield. So if you need a shield you'll just have to call 502-777-5252 for the details of ASProgram.com.

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US Government condones USERY

2007-12-04T16:31:48Z

There are no Federal laws controlling the rate of interest NATIONAL BANKS can charge. Interest rates are only controlled by state laws. Any bank that claims that is a National Bank (See http://www.lectlaw.com/files/ban02.htm) is not subject to their states USERY laws when it comes to credit cards. That is why NB banks locate their credit card divisions in states with very liberal or non-existent usery laws. Without any laws to inhibit and control their business the sky is the llimit and they will and do charge whatever the traffic will bear. This is why credit card interest rates are so high and going higher every day and why the late fees and penalties are astronomical.

Whose fault is it? Mine and yours and everyone who wants more than they can afford and is willing to pay an interest rate that can make the goody cost more than its original store price. I grant you there are some responsible credit card users. The credit card companies call them "deadbeats" because they pay off their credit debt on time and pay no interest.

When you see home foreclosure numbers rising and mortgage companies claiming they are in trouble and the housing market going flat you are seeing the signs of insolvency. The American public is tipping toward insolvency: Wikipedia defines, Insolvency as a financial condition experienced by a person or business entity when their assets no longer exceed their liabilities. When a person or entity can no longer meet its debt obligations when they come due, that is commonly referred to as 'cash-flow' insolvency. This is when the plastic comes out and we try to hold out until our situation gets better while it continues to get worse because we are permitting USURY to take over and ruin our lives.

Even though this overextended condition is something each of us did to ourselves, for whatever reason, it is still something that had we known better we might have avoided. Now debt counselors, debt consolidators, and other kinds of debt advisors, some good some bad, are sucking at our pain.

The real problem is that most of us know what to do, if we had a way to do it, pay off our debt. Most of us could manage our debt if the credit card companies were not constantly raising our rates and charging exorbitant late fees. What we need is a shield, a way to hold the unsecured creditors at bay while we get our finances back in order. I found one company that promises they can shield you against the onslaught of the unsecured creditors. I haven't tried them yet but their approach is certainly different. They are not proposing to protect you by setting up any sort of a corporation or llc or trust. They are not moving the ownership of your assets off shore. The company is called Asset Security Program or ASP. Their FAQ's were very interesting and they claim their program is legal. The website is www.asprogram.com/Splash2.html

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B’Boomers fighting credit debt

2007-12-01T01:17:03Z

40% of the 78 million Baby Boomers are in hock to creditors. The Boomers who were known for paying their bills are now being fleeced by credit card interest rates and medical expenses that are out of control. Where can they turn?

Let's face facts. Say you want to work and can physically work, but who is going to hire you for a job where your talents can really benefit the company even though you might be willing to work at a lower wage? It is true that there are a few employers that have seen the light and know that what you bring to the job is experience and dependability that is hard to find in younger workers. But these visionaries are few and far between.

So while you are waiting to find a way to pay your debts you continue to use up your assets to keep the door open and put food and medicine on the table with nothing to shield you from the day when your credit is used up.

What are the options: debt counselors, debt consolidators, taking on more debt or having some attorney incorporate or help you give your assets away? None of those solutions are too inviting. On a personal level, since I ran my own business and had several deals in the works I believed that if I could just make it through another month or two, I could begin to pay off my bills.

In my search for a solution I ran across an article that said that once your debtors have gotten the full price for the merchandise, they let you buy on credit and you start running in arrears, many will sell off your debt to collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. That astounded me. In other words a collection agency, that had bought my debt for pennies, was now going to try to get me to pay for that same item again including interest and penalties.

I said there must be a law and there is, the law is that interest, late fees and other penalties on unsecured credit card debt is not controlled or regulated by the Federal Government and hasn't been since the 1978 Marquette Bank opinion that permitted national banks to export interest rates on consumer loans from the state where credit decisions were made to borrowers nationwide. That was when certain states like South Dakota, who was hurting for jobs and revenue, cut a deal with Citibank and others to relax and do away with credit card usury regulations altogether. Now the credit card companies are making more than the oil companies because they are not regulated. You and I the credit card borrowers, are the only ones that can influence the interest rates of the credit card companies by paying down our revolving debt and becoming "deadbeats" (people who monthly pay off their cards) instead of "revolvers." .

We the people have to take control and fight back anyway we can since very few of our legislatures seem to care. What each of us needs is time. Given enough time most of us will find a way to pay off our debts.

In my search I found a program that may be able to "shield" us from our unsecured creditors. I have not tried it yet but the FAQ's sound very promising. This is supposedly a legal way to really create a shield around your assets. Check it out… www.asprogram.com/Splash1.html

[SOURCE]

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